Locking differentials are difference-makers on desert safari

DETAILS

Spring Off-Road Expo

Presented by Toyota, the show features off-road vehicles, parts and accessories, a Truck and 4X4 Show and Shine and center-stage activities such as Can-Am Spyder demo rides, Hawaiian Tropic model-search pageants and motorcycle stunt shows.

The TDS Desert Safari is the largest off-road run on the West Coast and the second largest in the United States, second only to the Moab Easter Jeep Safari, organizers say.

The family-themed event had 1,256 vehicles registered to drive on the guided trails. That compares with about 900 at last year's event, which was held in a different area nearby. Registration in advance was $50 per vehicle, $60 on site.

Anticipating two and more people per registered vehicle, event organizers planned on an infrastructure to support 8,000 to 10,000 participants. And there were dozens, if not hundreds, of campers, travel trailers, tents and toy haulers spread across acres of open space. And with them were more powersport toys, ranging from all-terrain vehicles, motorcycles, dune buggies and others.

“We do everything from portable bathroom facilities, lighting, staging, public-address system, tents ... the whole bit,” said Wayne Miller, vendor and prize chairman for the Desert Safari. “When we get there, it is a big empty space, and then we make it a city for a weekend.”

The base camp had 80 parts and services vendors, four food sellers and $112,000 in the “opportunity drawing,” a ticket for which is included with registration. And there were more than $10,000 in products for the “bucket” raffle, which is a secondary “opportunity” for all to take a chance at winning something.

The 7 p.m. Saturday night opportunity drawings were eagerly attended by hundreds who began arriving with camp chairs at 4 p.m. to sit near the stage and wait for the numbers to be called.

The weekend cranked up Friday with arrivals and a music fest in the evening.

Trails are graded in colors of green for easy, red for difficult and blue for vehicles that have been fully modified to compete off-road. But even the green run glowed red in sections for a vehicle the length and wheelbase of a Suburban.

I attended with a friend who photographed and videotaped our run and provided much-needed navigation help to spot the little green directional arrows.

The 17-mile green trail ride took five hours through sandy washes, rock gardens, chutes, hills and loose dirt. Trail difficulty is crafted to challenge shorter-wheelbase Jeep Wranglers and Cherokees, Ford Broncos, International Scouts, Suzukis and Toyotas, which make up about 99 percent of the mix of vehicles on the trail.

The week before the event, I had Pro Gear in Kearny Mesa install front and rear locking differentials on my 1987 Suburban K2500 and I was eager to test the new traction capabilities. My truck weighs nearly 6,000 pounds empty and has dual-reservoir Fox shock absorbers to help manage the weight. For trail access, the truck is lifted 3 inches, but it is still a tail-dragger through sharply angled dips.

The upgrade to locking differentials was the responsible thing to do, I said, as I handed over my credit card. Why was it important? Instead of the standard four-wheel-drive system that directs all power to the wheel that loses traction in sand, soft dirt, snow or ice, locking differentials put equal power to all tires.

Out on the trail, the experience was priceless.

With differentials locked, the Suburban pulled like a tractor. Horsing my Suburban through the tighter switchbacks and crawling up peaks became wager material for many on the trail. But when we didn't get impaled, Greg Parker of Competitive Metals in El Cajon, who would have been stuck behind us, said: “God bless the 'Burb.”

With lockers engaged, I did not have to get a run at a hill and wail on the accelerator to whomp the truck up hills. Locking diffs save gas, reduce engine emissions and provide gentler treatment of the equipment and land.

The Tierra Del Sol Four Wheel Drive Club of San Diego, with at least 50 families in the membership, holds several events through the year and shows vehicles in the corral at the Coronado Speed Festival. Proceeds from the club's events support organizations that fight public land closures, whether for off-highway driving and riding, horseback riding, mountain biking, hunting and fishing, rock climbing and other activities.

The 48th annual TDS Desert Safari will be March 5-7, 2010. Details can be found at tds4x4.com.